Recommend a few custom home builders (McLean)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Focal Point charge? The prices that they quote on their website seem to be very reasonable and wonderfing if there's a catch.

One gets what one pays for, at least in the sense that one will not get more than one paid for.

I’d suggest you drive by and closely examine one of the Focal Point (or whomever else) builds in the early stages — well before the siding or whatever is installed. Look closely at the parts which are visible then (before the drywall and exterior facade get installed), but which cannot be seen after those bits are installed.

We will never buy a Focal Point house.

My, aren’t we grand!

If grand means informed, responsible, and discerning, I suppose those of your sort have some use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the best builder if I want a more traditional style house with Colonial or Georgian, or Greek revival style architecture?

Whitestone - Herb Amman. He builds father of the bride movie houses.

Is this the company you are talking about? https://whitestonecustomhomes.com/custom-home-design/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Focal Point charge? The prices that they quote on their website seem to be very reasonable and wonderfing if there's a catch.

One gets what one pays for, at least in the sense that one will not get more than one paid for.

I’d suggest you drive by and closely examine one of the Focal Point (or whomever else) builds in the early stages — well before the siding or whatever is installed. Look closely at the parts which are visible then (before the drywall and exterior facade get installed), but which cannot be seen after those bits are installed.

We will never buy a Focal Point house.

What specifically are you looking for?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with others that said drive around - you'll see plenty of builder signs in the area. I love the look of Classic Cottages and HATE Focal Point - as a PP said, cheap cheap cheap construction and within a year the house is dated.

How does focal point become dated in a year when most of the houses they build look similar to other spec houses in Mclean?

Looks like a Focal Point owner is chiming in. He’s done it in the past posts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with others that said drive around - you'll see plenty of builder signs in the area. I love the look of Classic Cottages and HATE Focal Point - as a PP said, cheap cheap cheap construction and within a year the house is dated.

How does focal point become dated in a year when most of the houses they build look similar to other spec houses in Mclean?

Looks like a Focal Point owner is chiming in. He’s done it in the past posts

Not really. I used another builder that does a more modern style but at these guys weren't trying to rip me off like some of the other builders listed here that charge more than 300 Sq foot .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does Focal Point charge? The prices that they quote on their website seem to be very reasonable and wonderfing if there's a catch.

One gets what one pays for, at least in the sense that one will not get more than one paid for.

I’d suggest you drive by and closely examine one of the Focal Point (or whomever else) builds in the early stages — well before the siding or whatever is installed. Look closely at the parts which are visible then (before the drywall and exterior facade get installed), but which cannot be seen after those bits are installed.

We will never buy a Focal Point house.

What specifically are you looking for?

Thanks!

+1

[Anonymous]

What about builders that are not affiliated with design/build outfits? Builders that work with independent architects/engineers? All the big names I see listed here are design/build firms. I can't seem to find anyone talking about those types of builders

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about builders that are not affiliated with design/build outfits? Builders that work with independent architects/engineers? All the big names I see listed here are design/build firms. I can't seem to find anyone talking about those types of builders

We used Glenn Chen Fong as our architect in McLean, and he recommended our builder (who does not want his name published because he doesn't want inquiries from people who cannot afford him). Glenn has a staff who can lead you to the right builder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about builders that are not affiliated with design/build outfits? Builders that work with independent architects/engineers? All the big names I see listed here are design/build firms. I can't seem to find anyone talking about those types of builders

My realtor had a long list of these type of builders.

[Anonymous]

We used Brush Arbor because we thought they were a luxury builder. In hindsight, I think they just have very good marketing around this. I think they do true luxury homes when the buyers’ architect and interior designer are heavily involved to select every finish / specification. But if you’re planning to build using their architect and base it off a spec home (with some upgrades), I don’t know that the value is there. Also, the interior designer they recommend is just quite bad. We started off working with her but were alarmed by the poor attention to detail and lack of any really helpful feedback. She also has no formal design training.
The BA staff are very nice, organized and transparent about costs/issues if you do plan to use them. I think if you can get a recommendation from someone you know and whose work you can inspect (eg a builder used by a friend), That’s invaluable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used Brush Arbor because we thought they were a luxury builder. In hindsight, I think they just have very good marketing around this. I think they do true luxury homes when the buyers’ architect and interior designer are heavily involved to select every finish / specification. But if you’re planning to build using their architect and base it off a spec home (with some upgrades), I don’t know that the value is there. Also, the interior designer they recommend is just quite bad. We started off working with her but were alarmed by the poor attention to detail and lack of any really helpful feedback. She also has no formal design training.
The BA staff are very nice, organized and transparent about costs/issues if you do plan to use them. I think if you can get a recommendation from someone you know and whose work you can inspect (eg a builder used by a friend), That’s invaluable.

+1. We hired an independent architect to design our home and specify the construction materials. We then bid the plans to various builders. The quality was 90% determined up front via the design, specs, and plans. The builder was just the executor. The interior designer applied the make up. This is the best way to QC and be content in the end. Never lock into design/build firm if you desire quality, flexibility and control over the entire process. The architect working for the builder is trained to cut every corner, increasing profit for the builder. The builder will cut corners on materials and 99% of the homeowners will never detect it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used Brush Arbor because we thought they were a luxury builder. In hindsight, I think they just have very good marketing around this. I think they do true luxury homes when the buyers’ architect and interior designer are heavily involved to select every finish / specification. But if you’re planning to build using their architect and base it off a spec home (with some upgrades), I don’t know that the value is there. Also, the interior designer they recommend is just quite bad. We started off working with her but were alarmed by the poor attention to detail and lack of any really helpful feedback. She also has no formal design training.
The BA staff are very nice, organized and transparent about costs/issues if you do plan to use them. I think if you can get a recommendation from someone you know and whose work you can inspect (eg a builder used by a friend), That’s invaluable.

Do not talk to the BA clients whose main floor collapsed a few weeks after moving in.

[Anonymous]

I'd put Brush Arbor at the same level as Cherry Hill in terms of quality- both still overpriced but Brush Arbor more so

[Anonymous]

What's the cheapest builder for modern style homes with rooftop decks. I've seen these and they look fairly simple (boxy) and shouldn't cost as much as the ones with multiple roofs and elaborate detail. They almost look like they could be modular homes. I actually like the look of these "shipping containers" stuck one on the other, but I don't want to pay top dollar and don't want a particularly big home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's the cheapest builder for modern style homes with rooftop decks. I've seen these and they look fairly simple (boxy) and shouldn't cost as much as the ones with multiple roofs and elaborate detail. They almost look like they could be modular homes. I actually like the look of these "shipping containers" stuck one on the other, but I don't want to pay top dollar and don't want a particularly big home.

Any Builder can do this. However when it comes to the cheapest, you have to build bigger. One Builder quoted me a Toll Brothers comparable house for $200 a square foot if the house is bigger than 10,000 ft